Reverse plating by knitting needle control



April 13, 1937.

R. H. LAWSON ET AL REVERSE PLATING BY KNITTING NEEDLE CONTROL FiledApril 18, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l Tmve miw m @WZHL @W@ @m, flz ihuz mmomw,

April 193% R. H. LAWSON ET AL 9 9 REVERSE PLATING BY KN ITTING NEEDLECONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WU earn/Zora &e @Hlawsan a" wife/m2 J1Uiouifv'er,

April 13, 193'? R. H. LAWSON ET AL REVERSE PLATING .BY KNITTING NEEDLECONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18, 1927 IWUEZ'i/ZOY'fi 662 57Lava/(so n, CHWZhZQ/T'CJV 05010771968", ey V'M 1 Patented- Apr. 13, 1937REVERSE PLATING BY KNITTING NEEDLE CONTROL Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket,and Arthur N. Cloutier, Lonsdale, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company,Central Falls, R. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April18.19211, Serial No. 184,576

3 Claims.

This invention relates to reverse plating by knitting needle control,and more particularly to circular hosiery knitting machines providedwith web holders or sinkers having nibs of usual type and wherein thereverse plating is effected I through inward movement of the needles,and to the method of moving the needles to efiect reverse plating.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood,we have disclosed in the accompanying drawings a single embodimentofmechanism for practicing our invention and whereby the method thereofmay best be carried out.-

Insaid drawings: Fig. lis an end elevation of the lower part of acircular hosiery knitting machine having I our invention appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ,of the head of the knitting machine andadjacent parts of the mechanism for controlling the cams whereby theinward movement of the needles is eflected;

I 1 Fig. 3 is a plan view of the knitting machine of the means forimparting inward movement to the reverse plating needles, butrepresenting the head, but with parts removed to show the cams and webholders;

Fig. 4 is' a detail showing one of the cams for imparting the inwardmovement to the reverse plating needles, in its relation to the regularsinker operatingcam;

Fig. 5 is an inside view in transverse section of the latch ring, theplating yarn guides and the yarn tensioning means;

- Fig. 6 is a detail in vertical transverse section aeedle as in itsouter or normal plating posion ;m

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but representing the needle as beingmoved radially inward for efiecting -reverseplating; r

Fig. 8 is a detail in plan showing the position of the parts in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a similar detail showing the position of the parts in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing a needle with the two yarns. in thehook thereof in a normal plating relation;

Fig. 11 is a, similar view but representing the same needle as movedinward so that the two yarns in the hook thereof assume a reverseplating position, and also showing the next adjacent needle in a normalplating position; and

Fig. 12 is a view showing in side elevation the web holders or slnkerspreferably employed in (01. se-se) that embodiment of the'mechanism ofour invention herein. represented.

In accordance with our invention, we efiect reverse plating by movementof selected or predetermined needles transversely of the needle series.Assuming, for purpose of illustration and explanation, that the needlesemployed are latch needles (although our invention is not limited to theemployment of latch needles), reverse plating is efiected by movement ofdesired or selectedneedles backward; that is, away from the observer whois facing the latches of the needles. In the event that the invention isapplied to a circular independent needle knitting machine; the desiredor selected needles are moved radially inward in efiecting reverseplating. The inward movement of the desired or selected needles may beeffected by any means or instrumentalities.

Such means desirably engages the needle stems, and in such manner as tocause the desired or selected needles to move inwardly at the propertime. Our invention is not limited to the em ployment of any particularmeans or instrumentality for effecting such inward movement of theneedles, and while, within the scope of our invention, such means may beso located with respect to the series or circle of needles as to pullthe desired or. selected needles inward at the proper time, wepreferably employ means or instrumentalities located outside the needlecircle and s0 engaging the desired or selected needles as to push theminwardly at their upper ends at the proper time. Assuming that the meanswhich acts directly upon the desired or selected needles, moves theminward by a pushing action, such means or instrumentality is desirably.individual to each of the needles, and may be I made to engage thedesired or selected gneedles at any suitable point along said needles.Without in any sense limiting ourselves thereto, we

have, forsimplicity and convenience of operation, chosen to move thedesired or selected needies inward by lateral projections upon certainof the web holders.

Within the scope of "our invention,-means may i be provided for movingeach-and every one of the needles inwardly for effecting reverse platingthereon, but preferably and as herein shown only a. part of the needlesare adapted or intended to have reverse plating efiected thereon. Saidneedies wherein reverse plating is to be effected are of said needleswhereon reverse plating is at any time to be effected, there ispositioned a'sinker or web holder having a lateral projection orformation adapted to engage the needle stem and thereby move the needleinwardly 'sufl'iciently to effect reverse plating. Those sinkers or webholders which are provided with lateral formations or projections may beand preferably are contrasted among themselves by different lengths orshapes of butts or other parts, and we preferably provide a plurality ofcams, each cam being adapted to act'only upon butts of a certainformation. In this manner a very considerable variation in patterningmay be effected especially in forming vertical lines of greater or lesslength, or mere dots.

Our invention may be applied to any type of independent needle knittingmachine, but we have represented the same as applied to a circularhosiery knitting machine, and have selected for illustration a machineof the so-called Banner type and, without limiting ourselves thereto, wewill describe the preferred form or embodiment of our invention asapplied to a machine of that type.

The Banner machine, to which our invention is here represented asapplied, is of the general type shown in the patent to Hemphill, No.933,443, and shown also in the patent to Robert H. Lawson,

' Reissue No. 16,584, April 5, 1927. In said latter patent is disclosedmeans for effecting reverse plating, but therein the reverse plating iseffected through the action of thread engaging instrumentalities movabletransversely of the needles,

and for that purpose those thread engaging instrumentalities at whoseneedles reverse plating is to be effected are of special formation atthe thread engaging portions thereof. In accordance with our invention,however, the sinkers or web holders throughout the entire series may beand desirably are of usual and regular formation so far as the threadengaging portion thereof is concerned, and the reverse plating isefiected through and by reason of the inward movement of the desired orselected needles at the proper time,-by

or through the action of instrumentalities desirably individual to thoseneedles and engaging the same at some proper point along the same andpreferably at the outer edge of their stems or shanks below the pivotsof their latches (if latch needles are employed).

Referring more particularly to the drawings, we

have represented the framing of the machine at I. It is provided with aneedle cylinder 2 that may be of the usual construction, but if desiredthe upper part of the needle grooves 3 may be sufllciently inwardlyenlarged or deepened to permit sufi'icient inward movement of theneedles.

The needles are represented at 4. While within the scope of ourinvention the needles may be of any type, they are preferably providedwith hooks 5 and latches- 6. The needle cylinder is desirably of therevolving type, though obviously our invention is not limited in thisrespect. While any 55 suitable" provision may be made-for permitting thedesired or selected needles to be moved inwardly, we preferably providea slight bend in the needle stems, as indicated at l in Figs. 6 and 7,so as to render the needles sufficiently springy 7 for the purposeintended. Such bend is preferably provided in all the needles of thecircle, and

for that purpose as slight a bend as one sixtyfourth of an inch has beenfound suflicient. The

- amount of the bend, however, may be varied according to conditions ofgauge, character of yarn or thread, etc. Inasmuch as desirably all theneedles are thus slightly bent, it is apparent that reverse plating maybe effected upon any needle, it being merely necessary to provide meansto engage the needle and effect the inward movement thereof at theproper time.-

The web holder bed ring is indicated at 8, and the cap ring is indicatedat 9. The sinkers or web holders are desirably all provided withordinary upper nibs I 0 beneath which are the throats ll. Immediatelybelow the throats II are the web holding edges l2 of the sinkers or webholders. In effecting normal plating the sinkers or web holders all actin the usual manner known to those skilled in the art, and whichtherefore need not be described in detail. The knitting machine isprovided with any suitable number of yarn guides or fingers by which anydesired number of yarns or threads may be supplied to the machine.Assuming that the machine is of the Banner hosiery type, there arepreferably provided four or flve yam fingers which at the proper timeintroduce their respective yarns or threads at the throat l3 of thelatch ring I, shown in Fig. 5. Among said yarn guides we provide twoguides i 5, l6, which introduce the yarns or threads l1, l8 in a platingrelation. In accordance with the preferred practice of our invention,tension or the greater tension is imparted to one of the yarns orthreads, and herein tension is imparted to the yarn or thread I8 bysuitable tension means indicated at l9 and which may be of the typeshown in said Lawson Reissue Patent No. 16,584 of any suitable type.While our invention is not limited in this respect, we desirably imparttension or the greater tension to that yarn which in normal plating isthe front yarn and which strikes the needles more quickly and lower downon the stems thereof than does the backing yarn, all as fully describedin said Reissue Patent No. 16,584, so that in normal plating said frontyarn appears at the outer face of the fabric.

The sinkers or web holders are or may be all represented the stationarycam II in Fig. 3 for- Figs. 6 and 7. Desirably the sinkers or webholders are of the sliding ty'pe, although our invention is not limitedin this respect, it being merely necessary that the sinkers or webholders be so web holders, and, excepting as herein described,

the said means may be the same as or similar -for controlling orlimiting their inward movement and as usual the said cam is providedwith an inwardly sloping outer edge 22 at its end nearest the means formoving the sinkers or web holders'inwardly. Radially outside of the cam2| is the regular cam 23, shown most clearly in Figs. 3-and 4, andwhich, as shown, is provided with an inwardly sloping edge 24 which innormal plating engagesv the butts of the web holders to move the sameradially inward as they approach the casting ofl point.

Inasmuch as in this embodiment of the invention we impart the inwardmovement to each of the desired or selected needles through lateralformations upon the next adjacent web holder or sinker, we provide meansfor moving inward pertaining thereto.

those sinkers or web holders having such lateral formation, at anabnormally early point in the stitch forming operation. Such means isdesirably cam means and while a singlecam may be employed for thispurpose we desirably employ a plurality of cams which are so positionedthat each will act only upon sinkers or web holders While in no senselimiting ourselves to a plurality of cams, or to two cams if a pluralitybe employed, we have herein represented two special cams at 25, 26,shown most clearlyin Figs. 3, 6 and '7. Said cams are desirably placedone over the other and are herein represented as having a common pivot21 in the cap ring 9. The said cams are provided with tails 28, 29extending beyond their pivots and adapted to be engaged by springs 30,3|, sothat they are normally so acted upon that their sinker or webholder engaging edges are moved outward beyond the range of the buttsupon said sinkers or web holders. Said cams are provided with pins orprojections 32, 33, to be engaged by means to be described for movingsaid cams inward at the proper time, thereby to cause themrespectivelyto engage with the butts of those sinkers or web holderspertaining thereto.

Assuming for simplicity of operation only that but two special cams areprovided, the sinkers or web holders of the entire circular series areherein of the shapes or forms shown in Fig. 12. Therein we haverepresented at 34 sinkers or web holders which have short butts 35 andwhich are devoid of lateral projection. Therefore reverse plating is noteffected at any time upon the needles pertaining to the web. holders orsinkers 34. In said figure,we have represented at 36 sinkers or webholders. having medium height butts 31. At 38 we have representedsinkers or web holders provided with high butts 39. The said sinkers orweb holders 36 and 38 are provided with lateral formations orprojections 48, and it will of course be understood that the web holders36 and 38 may be distributed as desired throughout the entire circle.They may be inserted singly, if desired, but preferablyin' groups ofatleast two, but their distribution and arrangement depend upon thepattern or design that is to be produced.

The lateral formations or projections 48 may 4i of the needle stems atthe proper time in the,

downward movement of the needles and hencewhile the two threads arewithin the hooks thereof or are just below and. are approaching thehooks. This depends upon the shape of the inner edges of. the specialcams 25, 26. In Fig. 4, where we have shown the special cam 25, theinner edge thereof slopes preferably gradually inward as indicated at 42until the point or corner 43 is reached, and which is preferably theextent of several needles in advance of the casting off .cam 23, and atsuch point the needle whose loop is being cast off is then at its lowestpoint ofdescent. We have here shown that portion 45 be provided upon thesinkers or web holders 36,

of the inner edge of the special cam 25 extending between the point orshoulder 43 and the cam 25, the said two cams being merely in differenthorizontal planes, and the same would be true if more than two specialcams be employed.

Each sinker or web holder 36 and 38, by reason of engagement of itslateral projection or formation 48 with the stem of its needle 4, causesthe hook portion of the said needle to be slightly inward, so as to beslightly inside the-line of the circle of needles. The amount of theinward I movement of such needles may vary under different conditions,but in fine gauge work an inward movement of about one sixty-fourth toone thirty-second of an inch has been found to be sufiicient. This,however, depends upon conditions and circumstances, and may be variedaccordingly.

Desirably the hooks 5 of all the needles are the same. Herein we haveshown them all as forward hooks. The bend I in the shank of the needlesneed be merely enough to make them all springy so that the desiredneedles may be moved inward by the sinkers or web holders having alateral projection 40. By providing all the needles with the bend I itis merely necessary to take out web holders 34 or any of them andsubstitute web holders like 36 or 38 in order to efiect reverse platingat those needles.

The position of the lateral projections or formations 40 is such thatsaid projections or formation's do not interfere with casting off; thatis, when the throat of a sinker has moved in just far enough to cast offthe lateral projection or formation 46 upon that sinker or web holder(if one be provided) is still pressing its needle in beyond the circleof needles to the maximum extent. Such lateral projection or formation40 first engages the stem of the needle at about the point 46 (see Fig.4), and at the point 43 the said projection 40 has pushed its needleinward to the maximum. extent and the said needle remains in to the fullextent for a distance which is about the space included by four or fiveof the sinkers or web holders when in the machine.

While any suitable means may be provided to move thecams 25 and 26inward into functioning position, we preferably provide the followingmeans to which, however, our invention is in no wise restricted. 1

In a bracket or standard 41 shown in Fig. 2 as located at the narrowingpicker side of the machine there are mounted for sliding movement twobars 48, 49 of which the upper bar 48 engages the pin 33 'upon the cam25 and the lower bar 49 engages the pin 32 upon the cam 26. Thus attimes determined by the respective controlling means of the said bars,one or the other of the said cams 25, 26 is moved radially inwardsufficiently for it to cause the sinkers or web holders whose butts areof the form or location to be engaged by such cam, to be so engaged, andthereupon to move the corresponding needles inward as already described.

Each bar 48, 49 is connected by a pin (not herein shown) to the properone of two levers whose outer ends are forked and are respectivelyengaged by the upper reduced ends 50, 5| of hell crank levers 52, 53co-axially pivoted at 54 upon a bracket 55, and respectively connectedat 56, 51 to downwardly extending links 58, 59. Said links, as shown attheir lower ends, are pivotally connected at 60, 6|, to horizontallypositioned levers 62, 63 co-axially pivoted at 64 upon the framing ofthe machine and having free ends adapted to bear upon properly shapedcams, one of which is shown at 65, upon the pattern drum 66 on the usualpattern shaft 61.

The shape of the cams upon the drums 66 for controlling the levers 64,63 depends upon the pattern and may be varied if desired. When thearticle being knitted is a hose or stocking, the said cams should besuch as to render the cams 25, 26 ineffective for reverse plating duringheel and toe work, and the cams may be and preferably are of such shapeas to provide both long and short vertical lines and also mere dots, aswell as figured or pattern effects. While we are not limited in thescope of our invention to imparting tension to one only of the yarns orto imparting a greater tension to one of the yarns, it is important tohave greater tension upon one yarn than the other inasmuch as the nibs Iof all the web holders or sinkers may be and desirably are identical inshape, and therefore the reversal in position of the yarns in effectingreverse plating is due wholly to the inward movement of the selected orpredetermined needles in co-action or cooperation with the greatertensioning of one yarn than the other, so that said tensioned yarn willbe positioned to one side or the other of the less tensioned ornon-tensioned yarn according to whether normal plating or reverseplating is effected. Desirably there is no change in the position of theyarn guides themselves in effecting reverse plating, nor any movement ofthe yarn guides for this purpose. In other words, the reversing of theyarns is automatically performed through the inward movement of theneedles, and is not attributable to the movement of the yarn guides oryarn feeding means. Without limiting the invention in any way by astatement of the theory of operation, it is sufllcient to state that thetensioned yarn is desirably that shown in Fig. as the lower fed to theneedles. In Fig. 10, the tensioned yarn is marked i6 and as tensioned,the untensioned yarn being marked II. It will be observed that in normalplating as indicated in Fig. 10, the said tensioned yarn gets to theinside or to the back 66 of the hook 5 of the needle. In said Fig. 10,the needle 4 is shown as in its normal or outer position. In Fig. 11,where the same needle is shown as moved inward by the projection 40pertaining thereto, the tensioned yarn gets to the front side of thehook and therefore is reversed in position,

. so that in the completed loop the yarn l6 appears at the inner face ofthe fabric.

We are aware that it has long been a practice to set desired needlespermanently in with respect to' the circle or series of needles for thepurpose of securing reverse plating upon those needles, but in suchcases the reverse plating must occur upon said needles throughout theextent of the fabric.

So far as we are aware, it has never been proposed prior to ourinvention to move needles inward or transversely of the needle seriesduring the knitting operation, so as to perform reverse plating thereonor thereat, and we desire to claim the same broadly.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the mechanism ofthe invention and the best mode known to us for practicing the methodthereof, it is to be understood that although specific terms areemployed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe following claims.

We claim:

1. A circular knitting machine comprising a circular series ofindependent latch needles, operating means therefor, means to feed twothreads to said needles in a normal plating relation, sinkers or webholders having an in and out movement between said needles, and means tocause certain of said sinkers or web holders to move their needlesslightly inward at their upper ends during the downward movement of saidneedles, in such timed relation as to effect thread reversal in thestitch forming operation.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising a circular series ofindependent latch needles, operating means therefor, means to feed twothreads to said needles in a normal plating relation, sinkers or webholders having an in and out movement between said needles, and means tocause certain of said sinkers or web holders to move their needlesslightly inward at their upper ends during the downward movement of saidneedles so as to cause the two threads to become reversed in position inthe hooks of the needles so moved inward whereby said threads appear ina reversely plated position in the completed fabric.

3. In a machine having independent latch needles and having cam meansfor operating the same, a sinker or web holder adapted to be moved toand fro between two needles and having a web holding function, and alsohaving a lateral formation so located thereon as to engage the outeredge of the shank of the next adjacent needle at one side thereof duringthe downward move-

